Mismatched
by Rainfelt aka Phoe-chan
Summary: When Kakashi dies on the battlefield he leaves behind a gift for Sakura that will let her catch up to her two teammates. However, when her teammates find out, one of them isn't exactly pleased... [SakuraSasuke]
1. Prologue

**AN**: Like I really need to start another fic. I said I wouldn't. I promised I wouldn't. Well, you know how that is. When you come up with an idea that's too good to pass up, you wanna write it before someone else comes up with something similar. I, for some reason unknown, came up with this idea in archaeology class of all places. Although I promise the discussion had absolutely nothing with this idea. Must've been something I ate. Or didn't eat. Or something.

ANYWAY I've not seen a fic like this yet, so hopefully it's original. If not, well then, pretend it is.

**Disclaimer:** _dys klay mur._ One of those things required to be in the author's notes so that said author doesn't get sued.

**Pairings:** Sasuke and Sakura

**Rating:** PG-13 for now.

**Warnings:** Violence, blood, probably language

VvVvVvVvVvV

_Mismatched _

Prologue

VvVvVvVvVvV

Her skilled hands were covered in blood. It was not her own nor was it of her enemies. Sakura's eyes were blurred with tears and blood that trickled from her forehead. Those same eyes were bloodshot from fatigue and exhaustion and full of pain, denial… sorrow.

"No! No! No!" Sakura screamed, press her hands against the deep wound on the body before her. Her delicate hands glowed with chakra, attempting to stop the bleeding…. Save a life.

Sakura shook her head, droplets of tears falling down onto her arms and the face of her comrade.

"Sakura…" His voice was weak; his chakra depleting as the life seeped out of his body. He knew she could do no more, but she would keep trying until it killed her. "Sakura." He spoke louder, his voice barely reaching her pounding ears.

Sakura's head jerked up, her eyes wide, hysteria infecting her mind. She knew that look. She'd seen it on other ninja's faces as they died. "Don't look at me like that, Kakashi-sensei!" She shrieked hysterically, her entire body shaking uncontrollably. This was not happening. This was not happening. This was _not_ happening.

If the man didn't have on his mask, she would have been able to see the smile on his lips. "Stop, Sakura. You've done enough."

She refused to stop, shaking her head rapidly; the blue light in her palms flickering. She was near her limit. "No! You're going to live! The wound's not that deep!"

"Sakura." Kakashi addressed her in the tone he used when she was a genin under his tutelage. She stopped, the light fading from her hands as she stared at him, trembling; her face begging for some sort of miracle to take place. Kakashi's eyes softened; his skill pale from blood loss, his body nearly completely numb.

Tears leaked from her eyes continually as she just stared at him, accepting defeat. "It's not supposed to happen this way…" She whispered, jade eyes glazing over.

Kakashi looked over at her, lazy eyes regarding her as if it were just another day in Konoha. "You've become a fine kunoichi. But, I have a gift for you."

Sakura raised her eyes to look at him in the eyes. "What…?" She stopped what she was saying when she saw what he was doing. "No! Kakashi-sensei, I can't accept that! That's…!"

"My gift to you. Take it. It's my dying wish. You won't have any problem using it."

His skin was cold to her touch but she knew she would be disrespecting him if she didn't take his gift. "I accept your gift, Kakashi-sensei…" She whispered as she reached forward and took the legacy Kakashi left her.

VvVvVvVvVvV

When the ANBU squad found Sakura's team, they found the enemies completely obliterated, one chuunin with critical injuries, three dead bodies of their comrades and one hypothermic kunoichi covered in blood and mild injuries; the worst of the blows being to her head.

As the ANBU captain approached her he stopped and stared at the body that lay beside her. "Oh my God…"

Sakura looked up wearily, staring at the white animal-like mask of the figure before her. Her hair was tangled and covered her face. She'd managed to cover her head with a ragged cloth that covered a good portion of her head from being so big. She looked away, not being able to look at the person. She had failed her duty. She was a disgrace.

"Let's clean up here and get these two to the hospital ASAP."

With those words, Sakura allowed her body to give out, slumping over and into unconsciousness.

VvVvVvVvVv

When Sakura awoke she found herself the familiar room of the hospital, injuries bandaged and mild cuts healed. She turned her head to the sound of the door opening. Tsunade looked grave as she walked to Sakura. The woman looked tired and weary. She sighed and sat down on a chair beside Sakura.

"I'm glad my work is helping you to recover quickly." Tsunade began, indicating she had been the one to treat her prize pupil. "I can't ask you to explain to me what happened until you're in a better state of mind, but once you're able to I will need a full report of… the mission." She murmured, massaging her temples.

Sakura nodded, turning her head to look out the window.

"But I have a question." Sakura turned her head back to listen, not speaking a word. Tsunade regarded her face before Sakura held up her hand and looked wearily at Tsunade. "You don't have to finish. I know what you're going to ask. And yes, he gave it to me."

Tsunade nodded softly. "Then that would explain it."

"Yeah…" Sakura trailed off, staring out the window, eyes heavy with fatigue. "Wake me for the funeral. I need to pay my respects…"

"Of course."

**End Prologue.**

**AN:** I don't know when I'll update as I say for all my fictions. This one was just too good to pass up, though. So I went ahead and wrote it. I've got so many ideas that it hurts. Lol.

_Happy Holidays and Happy New Year,_

_Phoe-chan._


	2. I: Copy Ninja Memorial

**AN:** Iya iya… So many of you guessed right on Kakashi's gift. Alas, I suppose I didn't make it mysterious enough. Ah, well. I do appreciate your comments and feedback. I suppose this idea is a little twisted but since when is anything "normal" when it concerns this author? …Don't answer that.

**Just a note:** I might be BSing a little here at parts. The good thing is it's from Sakura's point of view so it doesn't have to be completely accurate, but just reflects her thoughts on the matter.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own eyeballs. Take it from there.

_Mismatched_

_I – Copy Ninja Memorial_

vvvvvvvvvv

Her eyes blurred as she hugged her dark coat closer to her body. Naturally it would be dark and windy that day. It only better suited the mood. Bandages still covered her body and wrapped around her forehead and over her left eye. She alienated herself from anyone else around her. Of course, it wasn't hard to do when no one could recognize her. The black scarf and hat hid her hair and face well. The coat was thick and the dress long, covering almost every inch of her body.

Almost like a blanket to shield her from the harsh reality she was in.

She didn't even bother to wipe the tears that fell as she watched the lilies and flowers being set on the memorial. His _hitai-ate _(1) had been placed in the center, worn from years of use. Around it were pictures of him and his beloved comrades. From the jounin group to Team 7 and even to Kakashi's own genin team. Another tear ran down her cheek and she refuse to wipe it away. She felt she should shed them proudly; to show she loved her teacher almost like a second father. Not that anyone could see. But he could. She knew it. He was a part of her now. Just as Obito had been a part of him.

As the Hokage's speech started Sakura found that she didn't wish to be there any longer. Silently moving through the crowd and away from the service, she trekked slowly down the path that she knew all too well. The first meeting place of Team 7. This was where Kakashi had told them the meaning and value of the word "comrade." Right there beside the memorial stone where the names of heroes had been carved in so that they would live forever in the memories of Konoha's people.

A shudder ripped through her body as the wind blew through the trees and the grass around her. She stared at the white lilies that decorated the monument until she recognized the sound of rain pattering on the stone and ground. Again, perfect for the occasion.

She stepped up to the stone, her pale fingers tracing over the recently added name on the smooth surface. She wondered if he resented her for not being able to save him. She had cursed her own abilities the moment she realized the wound was life-threatening.

She didn't know how long she stayed out in the rain with her fingers touching the cool stone when a hand gently rested on her shoulder. Sakura turned her face to look up at the strong face of _Godaime _(2). "Sakura, I need to talk to you. Let's go back to my office."

She nodded and silently followed Tsunade back to the office, head down and staring at the dirt path she walked on. The older woman's hand remained lightly pressed against her back the entire time; a slight offer of comfort. However, Sakura was too lost in her own thoughts to recognize the touch.

vvvvvvvvvv

A short while later, Sakura found herself sitting on a medical bed removing her coat as Tsunade read over some files in her hand. As soon as Sakura had finished taking off her hat and coat Tsunade looked up from the papers. "Remove the bandages around your head, please."

Sakura nodded, reaching up and began to unravel the gauze wrapped around her head. As the wrappings pooled into her lap, Tsunade gently grasped the girl's chin and tilted her face up. Sakura's eyes slowly looked up to meet Tsunade's as the woman studied the handiwork of her apprentice's self-applied surgery. "You managed to exchange it without scarring too much tissue. That's good."

Sakura nodded slightly, eyes glancing around the room nervously. Her vision was distorted; it was hard to adjust, especially since she had kept the bandages on since the time of the transplant.

"I have better news than that," Tsunade continued, pushing the girl's hair out of her face. "You and Kakashi share the same blood type. This works in our favor because I can finish the surgery you started to making the eye complete; something that was not done when Kakashi received his Sharingan."

Sakura squinted up at Tsunade, watching they way her mouth moved. "What does that mean…?" Sakura inquired weakly, her voice soft and hoarse.

"It means that you may be able to shut it off so it won't eat up your chakra. I won't know until I try, however. Are you up for it?" The woman asked, pushing another stray lock behind Sakura's ear.

"S-sure." Sakura replied, closing her eyes. It would be easier if she could cut it off. The world was so different looking through the eye. It was like everything was broken down into the basics. She could observe movements and record them, decipher them. Things seemed to slow down so she could see every little event until she could categorize it in her memory for later use. She could only wonder what it would be like to observe a ninjutsu or genjutsu. To see through it. It intrigued her and tired her at the same time. She wasn't ready to think too hard yet. "When can we start?"

"Right now."

vvvvvvvvvv

"Hoi! Sasuke!"

The man in question casually turned the blonde who was running down the street to catch up with him. He waited patiently; his normal blank look painted on his pale face. It had been a tough time for him these past few weeks. Even though he was still under surveillance, he was slightly glad to be back. Especially after he found out that Orochimaru was, in fact, weaker than Itachi (that really pissed him off) and the man wanted his body for his own soul and Sasuke wouldn't exist anymore. That also didn't set well with the Uchiha. So, instead of staying there, he decided to come back. Well, it was more like he didn't resist too much when Sakura and Naruto dragged his ass back. But he wouldn't admit that. And after a few more weeks he hoped that he could get back to something more comfortable. Maybe even normal.

It was hard. Everyone was awkward around him and very suspicious. Kakashi was hesitant to train him. He was pretty much on his own. Just like before. But he knew he deserved it.

Sasuke had screwed up big time. Even Naruto and Sakura were still awkward around him although it was more subtle now. He'd even gotten into a few bickering arguments with Naruto that reminded him of the old times.

But his decision was still sound. Train. Train more. Follow the rules. And train more. Did he mention train more? He would still beat Itachi. He would gouge the man's eyes out and satisfy his revenge. But Itachi could wait a little while longer. He wasn't going to get stronger over night. Maybe that rock wall he was knocked through by Naruto gave him some common sense. Maybe. The important thing was Naruto hadn't surpassed him. But he was going to have trouble keeping it that way.

Naruto stopped to catch his breath, hands on his knees, before looking up to Sasuke. "Have you seen Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke paused, thinking. In fact, he hadn't seen her since before she left... on that mission. And he didn't see her at the service. He didn't actually look for her; he half expected her to seek out him instead. But she hadn't. And he never saw the flash of pink within the crowd. "No, I haven't."

Naruto frowned. "I haven't either. I hope she's OK. She must be really upset…" He trailed off, looking down at the ground. Sasuke did so as well. He pitied the girl for what she went through. Sakura had improved over the past three years yet she still failed. Same as he did. But it wasn't like he could offer comfort. Sasuke wasn't like that. Leave the comforting thing to Naruto.

Sasuke turned back toward the path he was going down. "I'm going to my apartment to change then to train. You coming?"

Naruto blinked at his abrupt change of topic before smirking and nodding. "Of course! Why would I pass up an opportunity to kick your ass?"

Anything to get his mind off of the recent events. He knew it was escapism for Sasuke as well.

Sasuke snorted, smirking. "You wish, _dobe_ (3)."

Both gladly accepted the escape from reality.

vvvvvvvvvv

Sakura slowly came to, vision blurred as she stared at the ceiling. She pushed herself up into a seated position as she looked over at Tsunade who was cleaning up her supplies. "Did it…?"

"I don't know yet. I was waiting for you to wake before I removed the bandages."

Sakura nodded, swinging her feet to the side of the bed, giving herself a moment to get her bearings straight. She stood up and Tsunade pointed to a mirror. Taking a deep breath, Sakura walked up to it as Tsunade stood behind her and began to undo the bandages. When the last loop was pulled off, Sakura slowly opened her eyes and stared in the mirror. Two colors stared back at her. Jade and Onyx.

Mismatched eyes.

"It worked…" Sakura murmured, reaching up to touch her cheek below the eye. The black eye moved with the green as she darted her eyes this way and that. Finally, she took the last step. Inhaling deeply, Sakura activated her chakra and pushed it into her left eye. Black swirled into red, three commas appearing in a ring around the pupil. It had worked.

Smiling for the first time since she had came back from the mission, Sakura turned around and threw her arms around Tsunade, tears falling down her cheeks. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade smiled and patted the girl's head. "Now, go show them what you're made of."

Sakura paused before stepping back and frowning. "No… not yet."

Tsunade arched a brow. "Why not?"

Sakura took a deep breath and turned away from Tsunade, hands clasped together. "See… if Sasuke-kun found out… he'd be really upset. I don't think he'd be happy at all. And Naruto might get jealous, too. So I think I should just train by myself for a while and get used to this before I decide to really learn anything to be used on missions. Does that make sense?"

Tsunade smiled at her student's thinking. "That sounds like a good plan. Now hurry up out of here. I have work to do."

Sakura nodded and left feeling a lot better than she had all day.

vvvvvvvvvv

"Ha! You're getting slow, Sasuke-_teme _(4)!"

A snort. "You got lucky, dobe."

They parted, both panting slightly, one grinning maniacally and the other smirking. The training grounds were soaked from the rain that had fallen earlier and were also covered in a vast array of craters and holes. There was a moment for recovery before the two clashed again. Kunai met kunai; metal clashed against metal; and offense met defense. Every punch was blocked; every kick evaded. They were equal.

That is, until Naruto's attention was diverted elsewhere. "Sakura-cha—" CRACK. Naruto's greeting was cut off by Sasuke's fist hooking Naruto's jaw, sending the other boy crashing into the ground a few feet away. Sasuke composed himself and turned to the person who had walked into the training grounds. His eyes widened a fraction.

"Sasuke-teme! That was a cheap shot!"

"It worked, didn't it?"

Naruto was about to reply until he remembered why he got hit. He stood up; grimacing when he realized his entire backside was soaked. "Hoi, Sakura-chan! Where have you been? We've been looking for you!"

Sakura gave a small smile and took another step forward. "I'm sorry. I just… I wanted to be alone."

Immediately the high was gone as both Sasuke and Naruto sobered up. "Yeah…"

Sakura realized she'd ruined the mood. "Ah… I'm sorry. I'll leave you two to your training."

"No, wait!" Naruto called out. Sakura turned to look at the rambunctious blonde. He smiled and jogged up to her. It was then he noticed her hair. She had styled it to cover the left side of her face. "You changed your hair," Naruto commented, reaching up to push aside the bangs. Sakura jerked back before he could make contact. Immediately she berated herself.

"I'm sorry; I just…"

"Nah, it's OK." Naruto replied, smiling sympathetically. "How are your injuries? I hope they're not too severe. We can't tell since you're wrapped up like a present."

Sakura gave a small smile before realizing Sasuke had appeared beside the two sometime during their exchange. He seemed to be giving her a scrutinizing gaze. Sakura flinched under his stare. "I, uh, had a few cuts and a bad gash on my forehead. A minor concussion, too. It wasn't… that bad." She murmured, lowering her head.

The trembling of her shoulders alerted the boys she was forcing back sobs. Naruto's face contorted into one of pain at seeing his friend like this. Reaching forward, he pulled the girl into his arms where she immediately buried her face into his chest and sobbed. "I couldn't do anything, Naruto! I tried and I tried but the bleeding wouldn't stop! I couldn't save him! All of my training was worthless! I was worthless! I let him die!"

Her words came out in choked sobs, half hysterical, half muffled by her face being pressed into his chest. Naruto spared a glance at Sasuke who was frowning and apparently deep in thought. At least he wasn't going to be cold. If he did, Naruto wouldn't hesitate to beat him into a pulp. Sakura needed support. Hell, they all did. "Sakura-chan. Look at me."

Slowly, Sakura pulled herself up from Naruto's warm embrace and stared up at those beautiful cerulean blue eyes that were full of compassion. Her bangs were matted to her face and still effectively covered what she didn't want him to see. "You are not a failure. I should hit you for thinking you are, but I don't hit girls. Only guys who look like them." A growl from Sasuke interrupted Naruto's little speech. "But, all kidding aside, you are far from a failure. We're all human. We all have weaknesses. And Kakashi didn't blame you. He wouldn't ever blame you. What do you think he would say if he saw you here like this? I think he'd be disappointed. You've become a fine _kunoichi _(5), Sakura-chan. Continue to be one by growing strong and working hard for Kakashi's sake. We'll be here every step of the way. Right Sasuke?"

Sasuke grunted but nodded nonetheless, looking away.

Sakura looked between the two boys before smiling through her tears. "Thank you guys… You've become two of the most important people in my life. Thank you so much." She took a deep breath before turning and grabbing both of the boy's hands while tugging them toward the village. "Come on. I'll treat you both to ramen."

Naruto perked up at the mention of ramen and began to jog after Sakura eagerly.

Sasuke looked away with an attempt at a scowl but one could see he was smiling. He was glad to have things back to normal. Finally.

Sakura let go of the boys' wrists as she turned around to smile at both of them while in mid-jog. Her hair flew about her gracefully, falling around her head in a bounce as she smiled widely.

Her smile stopped abruptly when both boys stopped walking and stared at her. She stopped and stared back as realization dawned on her and her mouth opened in shock.

The two boys stared in silent bewilderment at the pair of mismatched eyes. One of beautiful jade and the other of the darkest of obsidians, six fresh, tiny incision scars surrounding the eye like a star.

"Oh, God…"

_To be continued… _

vvvvvvvvvv

**AN:** UGH. I'm too brain-dead to even know if this is a good chapter or not. You can rant all you want to about all the faults; I deserve it. Just no ranting on the eye thing. Really, if you don't like it, don't read. Don't bitch to me about it. Cuz I could care less. My fic. Mine. Not yours, mine.

**Translations:** (BTW, in word these were superscripted but won't let it be formatted that way so the numbers are in parenthesis as you noticed. I hope it wasn't too much of a bother.)

1. _Hitai-ate_: Forehead protector.  
2. _Godaime_: The Fifth. As in the fifth hokage.  
3. _dobe_: Sasuke's favourite insult to Naruto. I don't know the exact translation but its equivalent is something like "dead last". Or whatnot. If anyone can give me the translation for dobe and the other word that's really long and I can't remember then I'd be very grateful.  
4. _–teme_: It's a very rude way of saying "you". Basically it'd be like calling him a bastard.  
5. _kunoichi:_ female ninja.

Yeah, and all that stuff. Thanks for your comments and reviews; much appreciated.

_Phoe-chan_


	3. II: Peripheral Vision

**AN:** Sorry it took so long to update. Long story short—things haven't been good. This isn't my journal or rant-place so I'm not gonna put on a sob-story, just know I'm trying to keep up. …Kinda.

Sorry this chapter is pretty short and slow and probably really half-assed. Needs to be out though. Will get better soon. Need to stop talking in fragments. Now.

**Disclaimer:** I wonder how many tongue-rings Orochimaru could get… Oh, and btw, I don't own it.

**Mismatched**

_Chapter II: Peripheral Vision_

* * *

It had been to cheer them up. She had pushed aside her aching heart to try and make them feel better. She always did that. Put on a smile and encourage her boys. 

However as the three stopped dead in their tracks with Naruto and Sasuke staring at her in utter shock and she staring back in horror, her mask crumbled easily and she could almost feel the shards falling from her face.

"Oh, God…"

Naruto was the first to regain his voice. "Sakura-chan! What happened!" He ran forward, grabbing her face, pushing her hair out of her eyes. She barely registered Sasuke was beside him as she winced. Her face was still sore, damnit. "I…"

Caught between frustration and fear, Sakura struggled for an explanation that wouldn't give away anything. "I… the gash on my head actually went further than I said. I had to have the eye replaced immediately if I wanted to have vision in both eyes."

She knew it was a pathetic excuse. If they bought it then she was being blessed by the gods.

Naruto's face fell into one of horror. "Oh, Sakura-chan," He gasped, pulling her into a hug. "I'm so sorry! God, all of this happening to you so fast…"

She hugged him back, burying her face in his shoulder. Naruto was a wonderful friend but sometimes he was very gullible. Besides, why would she lie to him? Sasuke, on the other hand… That was another story altogether.

Sakura glanced at him through the curtain of her hair to find him staring intently at her with his blank expression. That… wasn't good. Taking in a shaky breath, she pulled away from Naruto's embrace. "It… isn't that bad. I've not thought about it much since…" She stopped herself, not continuing. Weakly, she gave a smile, "Do you still want that ramen?"

Naruto swallowed hard. "N-no… I think I've lost my appetite. Thanks anyway, Sakura-chan."

Naruto then turned and walked off in the other direction in a complete daze. Things had not been this bad in… he couldn't remember when. First Kakashi-sensei… now this with Sakura, Naruto didn't know how much more he could take before even _his_ mask crumbled.

Sakura watched him walk away, looking as if she had been slapped. She stood there, eyes wide. Hearing weight shift atop gravel, Sakura turned her attention to Sasuke, who was still there. He was regarding her with a curious gaze. It unnerved her and she hastily turned her face.

"I… I should go." She whispered, taking a step away from him. She stopped when his hand caught her upper arm. "Sakura. What happened out there?"

"Don't, Sasuke-kun." She whispered, closing her eyes tightly. "Just… don't."

Sasuke wanted to press the issue but at the same time he didn't want to get her upset. He dropped his hand, shoving it back into his pocket. Muttering "Sorry," He turned and walked away.

Sakura watched him go, then fled to her apartment where she locked herself in her room and released the torrent of emotions she had bottled inside.

* * *

Rock Lee had always been a close friend of Sakura's since the Chuunin exams. When he was in the hospital, she visited him daily with a new flower to place by his bedside. When he advanced to Chuunin, she was there cheering for him. She had become a good friend and confidant. Not a lover like Lee had wanted, but a reliable friend nonetheless. 

Now, she needed his help.

She stood in front of Lee's apartment, a day after the incident with her teammates, chewing on her lip. How was she going to go about this? She needed Lee's help.

Sakura remembered when Lee and Sasuke had their first fight. Lee had basically stated that the sharingan was worthless if you couldn't read your opponent's moves. In other words, unless you were fast enough, you wouldn't be able to really catch what was happening. Granted, Sakura had the fully-developed sharingan but her speed was lacking.

This was where Lee would come into play. The taijutsu specialist could help her build up the strength in her legs so that she could be fast enough to track the movements of her opponents. It would also sharpen her reflexes and hone her abilities to see as she performed a move that required a lot of speed.

Hesitantly raising a hand, she lightly knocked on the young man's door. There was shuffling inside and the door opened, revealing a tall young man with the same thick brows and bowl-cut. His mouth curved into a bright smile at seeing Sakura standing there. "Sakura-san! How pleasant to see you here! Please, come in!"

He stepped aside, letting Sakura enter his house. She slid off her sandals, glancing around. Of course, the man's house was filled with training equipment, green upholstery and pictures of Maito Gai posing. She gave a small smile. She heard the soft click of the door and turned to see Lee giving her a questioning look before blinking, "Oh! Would you like some tea? I just finished making some…"

He trailed off as he ran into his kitchen and returned with two cups of hot tea. Sakura smiled and accepted it, taking a seat on the sofa. Lee spoke first. "So, Sakura-san, what is it that you need?"

Sakura blinked and looked up at him. She smiled a bit at seeing his wide smile. "I guess it's pretty obvious, huh?" She inquired, refraining from pushing her hair out of her left eye.

"Well, why else would a pretty lady show up at my doorstep on a lively morning such as this?" Lee inquired, earning a giggle from Sakura.

"Lee-san! Stop that. I'm serious!" She declared, sipping her tea again.

"Oh, but I am serious, Sakura-san," Lee teased. He paused for a moment before waving a hand. "But, please, tell me what's troubling you, Sakura-san."

Sakura gave a soft sigh and put her cup down, looking up at Lee. "I need your help. I want you to train me."

Lee held his cup from his lips, a confused look on his face. "Why, Sakura-san? You're quite powerful as you are. Godaime herself trained you. With your chakra, you're very strong."

"I know, Lee-san, but I want speed and strength like you have that doesn't require me using my chakra."

Lee set his cup down on the table, resting his elbows on his knees. "Why this sudden change, Sakura-san? Does this have anything to do with…?" He trailed off, not wishing to finish his sentence. _'…with Kakashi?'_

Sakura knew what he meant to say. "Yes and no," She hesitated before adding, "If I tell you, you cannot tell anyone else. Not even Gai, Lee. And _definitely_ not Sasuke. Can you do that?"

Lee set his teacup down, his face completely serious. "Of course, Sakura-san. You have my word. Like Naruto, I don't go back on it."

Sakura gave a small smile and let loose a soft sigh. "Thank you."

She set her own teacup down before speaking again. "Do you remember our first genin exam? You told Sasuke-kun that the sharingan was worthless if you couldn't keep up with your opponent's moves."

"Yes, I remember saying that. But what does that have to do with anything, Sakura-san?" Lee inquired, blinking.

Sakura took a deep breath and pushed her hair away from her left eye, red and black swirling to form the sharingan. "I need your help, Lee."

Lee stared at her and had he been holding his cup it would have hit the floor. "S-Sakura-san… how…?"

Sakura shook her head, letting the eye fade black and her hair cover her face again. "That's not particularly important. It's not too hard to figure out anyway, but I need you to help me become faster, Lee. I need that speed so I can read the moves. Can you—no, will you train me?"

Lee sat there quietly, contemplating her words and the depth of her request. After a good minute of silence, he unfolded his arms and nodded. "Be at the training grounds tomorrow at 6 AM."

She smiled and walked over to him, hugging him. "Thank you, Lee."

After she left, Lee sighed and flopped back down on his chair, staring at the ceiling. _'What have I gotten myself into?'_

* * *

Dawn had yet to break when Sakura appeared on the training fields, hair hastily pulled back into a ponytail, the rest that was too short falling over her eyes. She wore a jacket and slacks. The dew clung to the grass and a cool mist wafted over the grounds. It was chilly and Sakura found herself pacing to keep the blood flowing through her body. Hands shoved in her pockets, she went over tactics in her mind and what she hoped to learn. 

It wasn't but ten minutes later, right when the first rays of the sun were peaking over the horizon when Lee walked up to her, a heavy backpack on his shoulders. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Sakura-san, I had to make sure that I had everything. I assumed you wouldn't want to train on public grounds so we're going to head out to some place private for the day. I've got us lunch and supplies. Are you ready?"

Sakura took a moment to digest the information before nodding, a small smile ghosting her lips. "Yes. Thank you, Lee-san. You have no idea how grateful I am."

Lee gave her the nice-guy pose with the signature smile. "You still have much youth in you, Sakura-san! We shall find it and let it grow!"

Sakura couldn't help but laugh softly. Some things never changed.

And for that, she was glad.

* * *

_The night before…_

A dark figure swiftly darted across the rooftops, concealed in the shadows and the clouds covering the moon. The figured landed at his destination, the Konoha hospital. He slipped inside with not a sound and seemed to smoothly glide across the tiled floor, easily finding his way through the lacking security and into the file room.

Quickly, he found the filing cabinet he was looking for and pulled it open, fingers sifting through the folders. The person held his flashlight between his teeth as his fingers stopped on the manila folder with the tab printed in fine hiragana, "Haruno Sakura."

Eyes narrowing, he pulled out the folder and sifted through it.

He started when he heard the nurse walking down the hall and quickly replaced the folder, shutting the cabinet quietly. As the nurse opened the door in curiosity, wondering why she had heard a noise, the figured melted into the shadows.

Convinced nothing was out of order, she nodded to herself and shut the door, locking it.

The figure was gone moments afterwards.

The man crouched on a telephone pole before leaping off and quickly moving back the way he came. Quickly running up the side of a building, he landed on his balcony and opened the door. As soon as he was inside, he pulled the blinds and pulled his mask off. Dark hair tumbled out, the back spikes sticking up as black bangs fell over narrowed sharingan eyes, which played the pages it recorded over in his mind.

Not being a medic most of the terminology and notes didn't make sense. What little he could understand only confused him more.

'_Something doesn't add up here… Sakura, what are you hiding?'_

Scowling, Sasuke collapsed into a chair, arms hanging over the armrests. Sasuke never did like complicated things.

_End Chapter 2_

* * *

**AN:** Well, there you have it folks. Actually, it's longer than my other two chapters so far. Huh… I hate short chapters so I'm trying here. Before anyone asks, there will **not** be a love triangle between Sasuke, Sakura and Lee. I love Lee, but I just can't put him and Sakura together. It's one of those pairings I'm not too fond of, like Naruto and Hinata. Don't ask why cuz I just don't. 

I'll try to go into more detail later about what's happened in the past few years for Team 7.

Uh, other'n that, thanks for your reviews and I'll get back to those who had questions eventually, because I'm tired now and I want to post this and get a nap. It got a quick look-over so ignore any mistakes.

Hope you enjoyed,

_Phoe-chan_


	4. III: Sharp Eyes

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim.

* * *

**Mismatched**

_III - Sharp Eyes_

* * *

It hadn't really taken them long to reach their destination. They landed in an opening surrounded by forest. Lee turned around and spread his arms out, grinning. "This is it, Sakura-san! I hope it suits your liking. I find it very comfortable to train her." He winked at her, putting a finger to his lips. "It's my secret spot. Can't tell anyone, OK?"

Sakura giggled a bit, nodding. She was glad he trusted her enough to take her to some place of his that was secret. Their backpacks set down, Lee stood in front of her, thinking. "How good is your stamina, Sakura-san?"

Sakura blinked, looking at him. "Um, it's pretty good, I suppose. I mean, I have great chakra control, but I certainly don't have stamina like my teammates do."

Lee nodded. "Well, I believe we should work a little bit on that, but we'll throw it in with something else, just in case you don't need much of it. Our goal is to get you faster so you can see the movements with your… sharingan." It felt so weird to say that to her. He shrugged it off. "Should we do a test to see how good you are?"

Sakura blinked. She hadn't even thought to test out how much she could read already. For starters, she already had the fully developed sharingan. She was betting that she could read the movements but she didn't have the speed to dodge in time. "Sure. I have a theory I want to test out anyway."

Lee nodded again. "I'm not going to attack you, Sakura-san. I'm merely going to see if you can read my movements."

Sakura shook her head. "No. I want you to attack me."

Lee stared at her, thick brows rising. "Excuse me?" He inquired, a little shocked at her request.

She nodded, resolve firm. "I need to test a theory. Just don't use a lot of force behind the attacks. Can you do that? If not, aim for spots that don't cause critical damage. I can heal them."

Lee looked at her like she was insane. Maybe she was. All the Uchiha weren't too stable. It was a sharingan thing… though Kakashi didn't seem… really strange—err, wait yes, he did. He just wasn't crazy. "I… I can do light." He assured, nodding slowly. "Are you sure about this, Sakura-san?"

She nodded again. "Please."

"Then… Here I go."

He disappeared and she immediately activated her sharingan, looking around. She saw a blur in the corner of her vision heading for her. She turned her eyes and saw him almost _perfectly_. Now, she had to dodge him.

She lunged to the side, feeling his foot catch her arm instead of her ribs like it would have done. She grunted, staggering back into a stance. Lee frowned at her but instead she just rubbed her arm and nodded. "Again."

He obliged, jumping up at her and with incredible speed, spun with one of his more familiar attacks. She could see it clearly, but it was like she couldn't get out of the way in time. Her body was too slow to keep up with the sharingan. Instead, she opted for blocking, barely able to parry off his kick before it hit her. She didn't know how he did it, but she was so glad he could use light force, despite his speed. Even if said light force was for certain going to leave abrasions and bruises on her skin.

After about two more assaults, Sakura held up a hand for him to stop. He did, trotting over to her to make sure she was OK. She was a little unsteady, but she seemed to be all right. He scratched his head, face scrunching up in confusion of what she was trying to test.

He opened his mouth, but she beat him to it.

"I had a theory that since this sharingan is fully developed that I could read the movements but I can't dodge them because my body isn't fast enough to react to it. My speed will need to improve."

Lee nodded, frowning as she coughed a bit. She waved a hand. "I'm OK. You just knocked the wind out of me with that last kick." She gave him a small grin to which he replied with a sheepish look.

"Sorry," he mumbled. She laughed, waving it off. He then paused before inquiring, "Does that mean you could copy jutsus?"

Sakura paused, mouth open to respond, but she didn't quite have a response to give. "I… I don't know, exactly. I would like to think that I can I can read them but that I may have trouble recording them without some practice… I suppose I could try looking over scrolls to see if I can record them and play them back in my mind, or even copy them down to another scroll to see if it matches perfectly."

"That would work. I would like to help you in that, Sakura-san but I know no ninjutsu or genjutsu for you to practice with."

She smiled. "I know, Lee-san. I thank you for helping me out with this. I wouldn't expect you to do more than what I asked for. You helping with my speed and reaction time will mean more to me than you know."

Lee smiled widely, pearly whites shining in the rising sun. "Then, let's get to it! Let's run some laps!"

Sakura paled, know how…exuberant Lee got when it came to things like this. He saw her face and laughed. "Don't worry, Sakura-san. I won't over-work you."

She laughed and nodded, stretching her sore arms. "Good."

* * *

It was late afternoon when Lee declared their training complete for the day. Sakura had nodded wearily and Lee nearly had to carry her back to the village. She didn't seem to mind though, prattling on about things she hoped to accomplish.

Not one time had she thought about Kakashi throughout the training and Lee could see she felt so much better when her mind wasn't plagued with guilt.

It was with that thought that Lee departed with her, asking if she could remember how to get to his training spot. When she hesitated, he just smiled and suggested they meet at the same place they had met that morning but this time at 8 instead of 6. She nodded, apologizing, to which he waved it off, saying she had done excellent and even Gai-sensei would be proud of her. Sakura took this compliment with a strained smile.

She turned, bidding the young man goodnight as she slowly made her way home. However, as Sakura passed by Konoha Hospital, she got curious. Shifting her weight, she turned and walked into the hospital, smiling at the receptionist who knew her well and made her way into the file room. She pulled out some random files and a sheet of paper, sitting down at a desk. Opening the file, she activated her sharingan and began to read over the material. As soon as she was done, she snapped the folder shut and began to write down everything, word for word, on the paper. She could replay it like she was looking at it. A wide grin crossed her face.

She gave a small laugh and opened it back up and began to copy down different things, even forging the person's handwriting accurately. A feeling of adrenaline swept through her at the possibilities of what she could accomplish with this gift.

She glanced up and looked out the window, noting that it was getting dark. Closing the folder, she stood and opened the filing cabinet to return it, sifting through the files to find the correct order it needed to be in it when she noticed something was out of order. She hadn't done it, because she had just pulled out something randomly. What concerned her more was that it was her file. The manila folder marked "Haruno Sakura" was in the middle of the C section instead of the H. If it were just a few files off then it wouldn't bother her but hers was the only one that was out of place. Someone had purposely taken her file out.

She placed the other file back into place as she pulled hers out and opened it. The files were all out of order and it was obvious someone had sifted through them. But who and why remained a mystery to her. Giving a soft sigh, she rearranged the papers and returned the file to its rightful place before leaving. All this thinking was giving her a headache. She blamed it on the sharingan.

She momentarily wondered if it caused some form of psychosis. Which would explain a lot of things on Kakashi's, Sasuke's and Itachi's part. As long as she didn't get the urge to read porn or kill off her family, she deemed herself OK.

With that though, she made her way home.

* * *

She was nearing her house when a familiar voice snapped her out of her musings.

"Yo."

Sakura looked up, staring at the Uchiha prodigy who was leaning against the wall of a building that she was passing by. It was almost as if he… had been waiting for her.

"Ah! Sasuke-kun… what are you doing out here?" _'Smooth, Sakura, just make it look even more obvious that you weren't paying attention to your surroundings.'_

Sasuke shrugged, looking down the road. "On a walk."

"…On a walk," She echoed, nodding her head slowly. Somehow, her instincts told her not to buy that story. "At this time of day?"

Sasuke gave her a look that meant for her to quit prying. She hastily halted her inquiry. "Ah, well then, enjoy your walk." She murmured, bidding him a farewell. But, to her surprise, he fell into stride beside her. She nearly did a double-take, looking up at him. "Um, Sasuke-kun…?"

She was cut off as Sasuke interrupted her. "Where were you today, Sakura?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I stopped by your house. You weren't there. You've been gone nearly all day." Sasuke continued, before stopping, expecting an answer.

Part of Sakura wanted to tell him while the other part, often labeled as 'Inner Sakura", felt indignant that she should have to give him a report of her daily activities; however, she managed to be reasonable. "Training," She replied shortly, keeping her eyes fixed on the road in front of her.

"Training," Sasuke echoed in a disbelieving voice. Sakura bit her cheek at the tone. "With who?"

"Tsunade-shishou," Sakura replied, without missing a beat. Sasuke's eyes cut to her and she almost swallowed at the look he gave her.

"I stopped by the Hokage's tower. You weren't there. Where were you really, Sakura?"

Sakura's mouth went dry. She was caught in her lie and she had to get out of it. Finally, she decided on the best route, though not always the smartest when dealing with one, Uchiha Sasuke. "Why does it matter where I was, Sasuke-kun? You rarely care where I'm at so why the sudden interest now?" He opened his mouth to reply but she continued, "I believe what I do with my time is my own business and not yours, and despite what you might think, the world does not revolve around you."

With that, she picked up her pace, a little irritated at Sasuke. Figuring he'd leave her alone, she didn't bother looking back, muttering a 'good night' under her breath. However, as she made it to her home, a hand grasped her upper arm firmly as Sasuke turned her to look at him. She gave a start, finding herself staring into a pair of obsidian eyes that seemed to be trying to read her mind. After a moment, he spoke. "I don't know what you're hiding, Sakura, but I _will_ find out."

Sakura jerked her arm out of his grasp and stared at him as he stared back at her coolly, shoving his hands in his pockets. After a moment he broke eye contact and turned, walking away, raising a hand in departure, not looking back.

Sakura swallowed, and hastily unlocked the door to her home and stepped inside, shutting it and locking it behind her. With a heavy sigh, she ran her hand through her hair. This was _not_ what she needed. If Sasuke found out, she'd be in deep trouble.

She'd just have to take extra caution in making sure he _didn't_ find out.

_To Be Continued._

* * *

**AN:** Sorry it took so long to get this piece out. I've not felt like writing in a while and this story takes a bit of planning since I've not set a definite plot yet. An apology for the short and rather boring chapter; I hope to make it up to you in the next piece.

Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I can't believe I've hit over 100 already!

**Fallendreamer:** No, Sakura won't know all the moves Kakashi knows. Why? Because I believe that despite the sharingan being able to copy jutsus, the knowledge is stored in one's memory and not in the eye. Therefore, it's a clean slate and Sakura can copy whatever she wants.

**MegDeity:** You can set use the options at the bottom of the page to set up a story-alert to alert you when this story is updated. Hope that helps!

**Oh, and I have fanart!**

**Goddess of Oblivion** has been so kind as to draw a picture of Sakura for us! The link is posted in my profile and I hope you all take a look at it for it's a lovely piece! I hope to have my own concept of Sakura posted on my gallery soon and I'll let you all know when it is.

And I thank you all for your reviews. They're greatly appreciated!

Happy readings!

_Phoe-chan_


	5. IV: White Eyes

**AN:** To celebrate the release of Naruto: Shippuuden, I give you the belated next chapter. And this is starting to sound like a SakuLee, though I promise it's not.

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim.

**Mismatched**

_IV: White Eyes_

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks, Sakura's teammates saw less and less of her while she saw more and more of Rock Lee. Every day Lee managed to fit a good few hours into his schedule to train Sakura when she wasn't at the hospital or working under Tsunade. And while she was working under Tsunade, she was receiving additional training when the Godaime could afford it. Tsunade had decided to reveal to Sakura some of the ninjutsu she hadn't planned on teaching to her until she'd proven she could handle the responsibilities that came with the techniques. 

It seemed Sakura had indeed proven herself.

So, from dawn until late morning, Sakura worked with Lee in his special training place. From then to late afternoon, she devoted her time in the hospital. In the evenings, the kunoichi could be found in the Hokage's tower.

Of course, Sakura was also purposely avoiding her teammates. Or, at least, she was avoiding Sasuke. After the confrontation on her way home that one night, Sakura had made a point to avoid Sasuke at all costs. It wasn't entirely effective. She could occasionally sense him tailing her as she left from the hospital to go to the Hokage's tower or leaving the tower to go home.

However, Sakura had never sensed Sasuke's presence in the early mornings when she met up with Lee. She knew that was the time Sasuke spent training and wouldn't be bothered with her until his daily ritual was complete. For that, she was grateful.

Today, though, Tsunade had requested her presence at eight AM sharp. Sakura had informed Lee the night before, stating something had come up, to which he replied that he also had plans and would be unable to be there anyway.

How surprised Sakura was to walk into the Hokage's office to see Lee and his teammates from his younger days, Hyuuga Neji and Tenten, standing there also apparently waiting on her. She blinked looking at Lee who shrugged at her then returned his gaze to Tsunade who made a noise to get their attention. "Good; you're all here. I've requested the four of you here today because I have an A-class mission that needs to be carried out and you four are my hand-picked team to do it."

The former Team Gai nodded. Sakura assumed she was to be playing the medic, though she wondered why she was picked. She had no qualms with working with the former members of Team Gai, but she didn't normally work with them. Was the mission so dangerous that they needed Sakura's medical expertise?

"It's not a pretty job, I'm afraid, and I must also dispatch you almost immediately. I know it's normal protocol to have at least a twelve hour waiting period, but this needs to be done fast. Any objections?"

There were none. Thus, Tsunade began to explain the mission criteria. "18 hours ago, we received an urgent request from a team on a mission not far from the Fire Country's borders. They're heavily injured and need a medic and possibly backup. The message we received was broken and lacked a lot of information. To be blunt, I'm sending you in blind. I don't like sending one of my most skilled medics with a team of jounin into what could potentially be a trap; however, we all know that Konoha doesn't leave its men alone when they need our help, plus they were delivering valuable information. Your job is to stabilize their condition and bring them back as soon as possible. Do you understand?"

Of course they did. Each of them knew how important comrades were. How could they say no?

"Neji is the team leader, and, of course, Sakura is the medic. Be careful."

Tsunade handed Neji the folder, which he took with a nod. "Look over the material and prepare. You will depart within two hours. Good luck. Also, Sakura, I would like to speak with you briefly before you leave. The rest of you can wait outside for a moment, please."

Sakura waited until her new teammates had left before looking at Tsunade. "What is it, Tsunade-shishou?"

"I did not give Neji a folder about your skills. There wasn't time to prepare one. I'll leave it up to you what information you disclose. However, remember, it's very hard to fool Neji if you wish to keep your own eyes a secret."

Sakura nodded. "I shouldn't need it since I'll be playing medic."

Tsunade frowned slightly. "You may be playing field medic, Sakura, but we don't know what's out there or what happened. You may very well find yourself in a position where you must fight. If that's the case, then I advise you to be extremely careful."

Sakura nodded quietly before excusing herself to meet with her team. Outside the Hokage's office, Lee smiled reassuringly at her. "All right, Sakura-san?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Shishou wanted to have a few words with me regarding chakra distribution for the Healing Hands technique," Sakura replied, the lie slipping out so easily that it was a bit scary. Was her life really going to be come one filled with lies, now that she carried this burden on her shoulders?

She shouldn't consider it a burden, really. It was a gift.

But it was a gift with a lot of responsibility.

She turned her attention back to Neji, who was explaining formation and procedures.

Neji had every right to know about Sakura's recently acquired sharingan. He was the team leader and never had Lee ever stated Neji was untrustworthy. Sakura had no reason to doubt him either. Neji was an ideal captain. Calm, rational, strong, and always protected his team. However… Sakura couldn't bring herself to tell him.

It ate at her the rest of the morning, until she finally pulled herself together before they departed.

* * *

It was appreciated how Lee would drift back from beside Neji to speak with her ever so often as they made their way toward the destination. Tenten had done so once or twice, but had focused mostly on having an in-depth discussion with Neji on mission parameters and possible strategies. Sakura didn't hold it against her, knowing very well that this could be a bad mission and they needed to go in as prepared as they could be. And in knowing planning was not one of Lee's strong points, Sakura couldn't reprimand him for returning to talk to her ever so often. 

After all, she was fairly sure that, like Gai-senpai, Lee's best attack plan probably revolved around a technique called "Dynamic Entry."

Their pace was high-speed, but not nearly enough to drain their energies. They stopped twice along their way and neither stop lasted more than a quarter of an hour. Sakura was certain by the time they reached the border her feet were going to have a few blisters. It had been quite a while since she'd been on a mission that required a quick pace to cover a long distance in a short amount of time but without draining any significant amount of chakra.

Several hours after they'd set out, when the sun had set and stars twinkled in the quickly darkening skies did Neji signal for the team to slow to a stop. They had apparently arrived near their destination, and now the need for stealth had risen.

Turning to the other three members of his team, Neji stared at them with white eyes that seemed to glow eerily in the fading light of the evening. "We are approximately three hundred meters from the coordinates of where the last transmission was made. From here on, we move quietly and slowly. Do not separate unless I specify otherwise. Lee will lead. Sakura and Tenten will follow. I'll take up the rear. Any questions?"

"If you're behind us, how are you going to signal us if you need something?" Sakura inquired. She was certain they had a method to go by, but she wasn't aware of how the former Team Gai worked.

"Physical contact. I'll touch Tenten, she'll touch you, and you touch Lee." It was simple enough and finding no fault in it, the roseate-haired ninja nodded.

However, just as Neji stood up, his eyes widened and he shouted, "Move!"

The reaction time gained from years of training and experience saved the team from a doton attack from below as they scattered. Lee dove off to one side and Sakura to another. Tenten took to the trees and Neji jumped back and away, activating his bloodline.

He did not have time to be displeased with himself for letting the enemy sneak up on him, instead focusing on pinpointing their location and eliminating them. He could identify seven individuals in the area, three of which were his teammates. One of the others closed in on him, and he moved out of the way and easily avoided the strike aimed at his head. Smirking slightly, he twisted as he moved, two fingers striking out and hitting his assailant's shoulder as they moved by.

While Neji made contact with his current opponent, Lee was perfectly happy to dodge around the one who'd attacked him, always two steps ahead of the man's ferocious attacks. When he finally did strike back, a strong kick to the back sent the enemy tumbling and struggling to catch himself as Lee pursued. His eyes widened momentarily before he jumped up, barely avoiding an arc of wind that blasted toward him and in mid-air twisted, foot coming down onto his opponent's head.

Had Lee been able to spare the glance, he would have noticed that Tenten had left her perch in the tree not too far away and was making fine use of her arsenal, already littering the area with shuriken and kunai. The woman she fought already had several shallow cuts on her arms and legs, and more would soon follow unless she acted fast. Grinning, the brunette twirled two kunai through her fingers and with a flick of her wrists, sent them sailing toward her opponent unerringly. She had to catch herself, however, when the ground shook violently, and she was reminded of just whom the fourth member of their team was.

The short-lived earthquake had been caused by Sakura's inhuman strength, the result of which was a three meter long fissure now in the forest's floor. Her opponent had gotten out of the way and seemed to have gotten over the initial shock of seeing a woman create a giant hole in the ground with her fist. Believing that long range attacks would be better suited against this woman, Sakura's opponent quickly began to perform seals for a jutsu.

It was a quick decision. Sakura did not know the depths of the byakugan's power, but she was certain that Neji was most likely engaged with someone else and his focus wasn't on her. Tenten wasn't nearby and Lee already knew. With those fleeting thoughts she activated her sharingan as her opponent brought his hands up to form the first seal. She easily read and memorized the short sequence before diving to the side as the enemy released a stream of fire. Even as she dove down onto the ground and rolled back to her feet, she'd caught enough to copy the jutsu and file it away for further use.

Even as she got back to her feet, her opponent was trying again with the same jutsu. After all, she'd only dodged and not countered. However, Sakura had other ideas in mind. Eyes narrowing, her hands cycled through the movements quickly and as another blast of fire made its way toward her, she returned it, the blasts canceling each other out.

Slightly perturbed, the man took a step back as Sakura smirked, raising her hands. It was time to finish this. A high level genjutsu was her choice, and she executed it flawlessly. The other ninja stumbled, eyes taking on a glossy look as he succumbed to the illusion.

And from there all it took was one chakra-filled punch to finish the job.

Once done, Sakura deactivated her sharingan and hurried back towards the others to find Tenten collecting her weapons as Lee walked out of the bushes, plucking twigs out of his hair. Glancing around, Sakura inquired, "Where is Neji?"

"Behind you."

She turned to see him standing by a tree, holding up a hitai-ate. "It seems our enemies are from Grass. Or they were at one point."

"You think they're missing nin?" Tenten inquired, snatching a few kunai from the ground.

"It's possible. We should focus on finding the other team for now. These guys aren't going anywhere." With that, the Hyuuga reactivated the byakugan and began to scout the area for any sight of their allies.

Lee took the opportunity to walk up and rest a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "All right, Sakura-san?"

"Just fine, Lee. It was a good opportunity to try a genjutsu I recently learned."

"Found them. A kilometer southeast from here."

They wasted no time in getting to the other team, knowing that Sakura's medical expertise might be needed to save lives. However, it was unfortunate that when they arrived, two of the four-man cell were already dead. The other two were in critical condition and Sakura dropped down beside the closest one and began to do her best to stabilize him.

Her chakra poured over the injured man until she was satisfied he would be all right for the moment. Quickly, she moved away from him to the other, dropping down to her knees once more and placing her palms over his chest.

Behind her, Lee closed the eyes of the dead while Neji double-checked the surroundings to make sure they were in the clear. Without anything to do, Tenten leaned against a tree to watch Sakura, a slight frown on her features.

"Come on…" The medic hissed softly, forcing more of her chakra into the injured man's body. He'd lost a lot of blood. The wounds were deep and not closing up enough fast enough. In fact, it seemed he was getting worse. She could feel his life slipping through her fingers and it shook her. "Damnit, come _on!_"

Three sets of eyes turned to look at the kunoichi bent over the wounded man, hands glowing with healing chakra. "Sakura-san?" Lee called out quietly, hesitant to disrupt her concentration, but concerned nonetheless.

But Sakura couldn't hear him. Instead of a man she'd never seen before, below her glowing hands was Kakashi, pale and on the verge of death. And she was about to watch him die all over again.

"You can't die on me! You can't leave me!" She was shouting now, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. The steady hand desired by medics was gone, replaced by trembling fingers that were still trying to force her energy into the man before her. She couldn't let him die again; she'd failed last time, let him down, and it still haunted her at night, but this time…

"Sakura!"

She jerked back, and suddenly it was daytime again. Kakashi was gone, that nightmare was gone, and beside her was a concerned Lee staring at her intently.

She looked down at the man she'd been forcing her energies into just moment prior and saw that she had stopped the bleeding. He would not meet the same fate as Kakashi, yet the relief that should have been there was not.

No matter how good of a front she put up, Sakura just wasn't ready to be playing field medic again.

_End Chapter IV. _

* * *

**AN:** So… Yeah. I had the first half of this chapter written probably a year ago and just never finished it. I suffered a Naruto burnout, a fanfic burnout, and a hatred for SasuSaku that still persists. I'm not as enthusiastic about Naruto as I once was, but I'm interested in it enough to keep writing, provided I don't get writer's block again. Hopefully I won't try to transform this into some other Sakura-pairing. Gah, Sasuke sucks. 

I do feel this chapter is very dry and lacking a lot of depth, but it's done and I'm not going to spend any more time on it. Hopefully you can forgive me.

**Also**, if anyone has any complaints, flames, or whatnot about my fics, that's perfectly fine. However, I expect you to have the decency enough to leave them in a signed review. I get really pissed off when some idiot wants to bitch about something I've written or done, but doesn't have enough balls to either leave an email address or a signed review. If you're afraid of me replying to whatever you've got to say, don't leave a review. Period.

With that said and done, thanks for all the other comments left and for those who've (im)patiently waited for an update.

_Phoe-chan, who thinks the Shippuuden opening theme kicks ass._

**PS**: Be sure to check out my profile for Mismatched fanart links! I hope to have another go at drawing sharingan!Sakura again soon. (:


	6. V: Depth Perception

**AN: **Anyone who is a psychologist or psych major, please ignore my butchering of your profession.

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim.

* * *

**Mismatched**

_V – Depth Perception _

* * *

"Have you been having nightmares?"

"No."

"What about illusions when you're not preoccupied?"

"No."

"Do you feel as though the world might be better if you didn't exist?"

"What? _No!_"

Sakura's nostrils flared as her brow furrowed and she gave her master a dirty look. Tsunade's hands flew up in a pacifying manner. "It's just a standard question. I didn't make these things."

"I don't see why I need a psychological assessment anyway, Shishou. My performance was not affected!"

"You had a near-mental breakdown on duty, Sakura. During a mission no less. Just because nothing happened as a result doesn't mean nothing _could_ have happened."

"What exactly did Lee-san tell you? We both know he tends to exaggerate his tales."

"Neji and Tenten both reported the same things, Sakura. I fear you're not ready to back onto the field."

"Shishou!" Sakura exasperated, giving her a very piercing stare. "That isn't fair!"

"Sometimes things aren't fair, Sakura," Tsunade replied sharply.

"Yes, I think I would know, thank you very much!"

"_Sakura!_"

The younger medic inhaled sharply, biting off anything else she had to say on that matter. Slowly exhaling, she pursed her lips before trying again, "Time will not solve any problems I may have over the recent events. I have to get out there, get off my ass, and work through it. Now either you give me the OK to do my job or so help me, I'll do it without your permission."

Tsunade sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'll think on it."

And Sakura knew that was as good as she was going to get for now.

* * *

"You didn't have to report me, you know."

"Aww, Sakura-san," Lee pleaded, hands clasping together as he looked over at her. "Don't be like that. I had to tell her everything!"

Sakura sighed, leaning back on the rock she sat on. She knew he was right. Lee wasn't capable of lying. Something about being a goody two-shoes or such. Lips playing out into a flat line, she muttered, "Yeah I know. Just...next time word it in a more flattering light."

"With all due respect, Sakura-san, I don't think I can word it in a way that would be flattering."

"...Touché."

"What wouldn't be flattering?"

Sakura sat straight up, spine going rigid as she recognized the voice of her former teammate. _'Look calm, relax, Sakura, or he'll see right through you.'_ Running a hand through her hair to smooth it over her eye, she turned to see Sasuke standing there. She wondered how long he had been there. Lee turned as well.

"Ah! Sasuke-san! I haven't seen you lately. Missions keeping you busy?"

Sasuke gave a brief nod. "I have time off so I came here to train." His eyes cut from Sakura to Lee, and Sa. "I would appreciate a sparring partner if you're not too busy."

"By all means," Sakura replied politely, getting up and smiling as she did so. "Lee and I were just talking. I'm sure he'd be glad to train with you."

"I meant you, Sakura."

_Shit._

* * *

Neji was a smart man. He was not being prideful or egotistical in thinking this. However, he was a little confused. Well, let's not say confused... because it does not sound smart. How about... perturbed. Yes. Neji was perturbed. Things in his last mission weren't quite adding up in his book, and he was wondering if he had all the right numbers to begin with.

On his desk sat his team's profiles, and his own report of the mission from just the other day. And in his mind he played over the details of the fight prior to finding the missing team. Neji had always considered it his responsibility as a team leader to constantly know where his teammates were and what they were doing. However, in that last mission, he didn't know _what_ Sakura had been doing. It wasn't that he lost track of her, per se, but rather the fact her chakra had moved to areas he didn't expect. Of course, a certain amount would be allotted to the brain to perform genjutsu and certain other techniques, but he was certain it had instead gone to her eye, the one rumored to have been damaged not too long ago. And then there was the fact she'd used the same technique her opponent had thrown at her. It wasn't impossible, of course, Sakura probably had a wide range of standard ninjutsu at her disposal, but to throw back the same technique...

It almost seemed like... well, something Hatake Kakashi would do.

Of course, that was impossible (though Neji would admit to seeing some weird and implausible things in his life), but perhaps instead of what it seemed like, it was something else.

Perhaps Sakura was trying to imitate Kakashi's fighting style for some reason. It wouldn't be too far-fetched, and would have explained a lot of things. She could have channeled chakra to her eye to mimic what she thought would be using the sharingan, and then thrown back the technique that she already knew, acting like she'd copied it.

Neji frowned, wondering if he should alert the Hokage of this. Already he knew she was under evaluation for her episode while on the job, but he knew the consequences of alerting Tsunade of this information. Most likely, it would pull Sakura from the ranks for an indefinite period of time until they deemed her mentally stable to work again. So there within he had to ask himself...

Was she really a danger to anyone? Was she a danger to herself? And should he risk her career just to be safe?

White eyes stared down at the papers on his desk. He could think of many reasons of why he wouldn't go to the Hokage just yet. For now he'd just have to keep an eye on Sakura and decide for himself if she were really fit to be out on the field.

And no one could keep an eye on people better than Neji could.

* * *

Sakura had been struck mute. She stared at Sasuke, trying to figure a way out of this one that would not give herself away. If she wasn't careful, Sasuke would have her cornered.

"I would be glad to, if I didn't have a meeting with Shishou in half an hour. We wouldn't get much done before I would have to leave."

"Funny, I spoke with Tsunade earlier today. She said you had today off."

_Damn, he's thorough._ "Wait, really? But... that's not what she told me..."

Sasuke crossed his arms and tilted his head, watching Sakura as she struggled for a way out. Unfortunately, she could seem to come up with one, glancing at Lee who offered her a weak smile. Not that she expected him to do any better. What was even worse—her words didn't have as much merit, seeing how Sasuke had caught her lying before. "...Are you sure? I'd hate to get into trouble for skipping out on a meeting."

The Uchiha's expression didn't change. "Positive," he deadpanned, unfolding his arms and beginning to walk past. "Come with me."

Sakura bristled at the order, looking over her shoulder and opening her mouth, searching for words. Finally she decided to say what she should have said to begin with. "...No."

Sasuke stopped and half-turned to her, quirking a brow. "Why not?"

Sakura swallowed. "I don't want to spar right now."

"And your reasoning is...?"

"I don't need one."

Sasuke snorted softly, turning completely to her. "You're scared."

Sakura made a face, standing up and dusting her clothes off. "I'm not. I just don't want to. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to be going."

She turned to leave when she saw movement out of the corner of her "bad" eye. Acting on reflex, she turned and brought her arm up in a block to avoid the hand coming at her when Sasuke suddenly stopped, Lee's fingers firmly clamped down onto his wrist. "I do believe Sakura-san said she was not up for sparring. Sasuke-kun, I ask that you do not provoke her into a fight when she clearly does not want to. It's impolite."

Even as the young man said this, Sasuke nor Sakura looked at him, both staring at each other—one with an unreadable expression and the other looking at him like he was crazy. With nothing better to say, Sakura stepped back from the two men and once again made to walk away. Lee gave Sasuke a firm nod before letting go of his wrist. Much to his approval, the Uchiha did not follow Sakura, though his gaze failed to leave her form until she was well out of view. When he finally looked over to Lee he looked fairly annoyed, and Lee responded the best way he knew how.

Grinning proudly, he gave Sasuke the Good Guy Pose, only to have the prodigy walk off in response.

One day it would work, he just knew it.

* * *

Throughout the rest of the day, Sakura's mood remained fairly soured by the earlier incidents with Tsunade and Sasuke. It practically showed on her face, a displeased sort of tone coloring her features. Fortunately, few were around to see it where she was, safe in the confinements of her own apartment.

The cup of tea she had been grasping with both hands had turned cold, but Sakura hadn't noticed largely due to the fact she hadn't even begun to drink it. Too lost in thoughts of things bothering her and what she had to do to fix it. For starters, she had to convince Tsunade-shishou that she was fit to be on the field, and to give her more missions. Maybe something solo. Fat chance on that, but oh wouldn't it be nice? To be away from prying eyes or people who would run and tattle on her behind her back as soon as she made one tiny slip-up. And then that would solve her second problem, Mr. Uchiha Sasuke who couldn't seem to keep his nose out of her business. She made a face that was fairly unattractive, but did well to show her displeasure.

It was only then did she notice her white-knuckle grip on her cup, and the anger that had rolled in at some point. Her face relaxed a little, moving from such strong emotions into others—mainly befuddlement. Since when did she become so angry about everything going on? Until recently, she was annoyed at best, and filled with other emotions. It'd seemed her worry and grief had started to channel into anger. If she weren't careful, she'd slip up, and then the cat would be out of the bag _and_ she'd be out of a job. She didn't need people thinking she was crazy, and she didn't need Sasuke wanting to kill her.

On that note, she didn't need to be wanting to kill Sasuke, either.

Grumbling under her breath, she stood up and moved to her sink, pouring out her tea and washing the cup. A relaxing bath should help, she thought, and made her way into her bathroom.

Several yards away from her apartment, Neji shut off his byakugan to allow Sakura the privacy he didn't want to invade. So far nothing was too out of the ordinary, but he certainly wasn't finished yet.

* * *

"All right, Sakura, the decision has been made regarding whether or not you'll remain on active duty."

Sakura stood before Tsunade's desk with bated breath. She'd waited over two days for the decision and had done her best to demonstrate she was in perfect condition to be working again. Unfortunately, Tsunade usually wasn't around to see it, but Sakura wouldn't doubt the woman might have other people watching.

"It has been decided that you will remain on active duty--" _Yes! _"but with a temporary probation--" _Crap. _"during which your performance will be evaluated."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Evaluated by who, you?"

"No, it will be an objective third party assigned to evaluate you."

"Right. While I'd like to think that would be in my favor, let's be realistic. I'll get stuck with someone who is out to get me."

"Don't be ridiculous. Who would be out to get you?" Tsunade exasperated. _Sometimes, I swear..._

"Well, there is Naoko..."

"...The medic apprentice at the hospital?"

Sakura shrugged. "Yeah. Rumor has it that she thinks I'm sleeping with Itoh."

"...She thinks you're sleeping with my new surgeon."

"...Yup."

"...Are you?"

"Shishou!"

"Sorry, sorry. Anyway, I promise you won't get anyone like that. It will be someone who I can trust to do the job right."

"So that means Lee-san is out of the question, doesn't it?"

"...Uh, yes. That is correct."

"Damn."

* * *

Tsunade looked up from her paperwork, clasping her hands together as she peered at the ninja standing before her. She'd reviewed many profiles, but he was probably one of the best for the job, if she had to be honest with herself. And it wasn't that she disliked this set-up so much as she knew Sakura would have an exceptionally hard time keeping her secrets from him. After all, he was a genius.

"You've been chosen for this task because I feel you have the ability to evaluate the subject efficiently and correctly. In addition to that, I expect that you will be fair and objective, putting aside any preconceived notions you may have, as well as any personal feelings based on past interactions. Having said that, I'm confident you are capable of these requirements. Please report to me if you have any questions."

She held out the folder to the young man standing before her. He glanced down at it and reached forward, taking it between his fingers. "I will let you decide how to best approach this task. Good luck."

Holding the folder in his hands, the young man resisted the urge to sigh softly, instead turning around and walking to the door, tucking the folder under his arm. Of all the things he could be doing right now, he had to be evaluating Sakura.

"How troublesome."

He'd much rather be watching the clouds.

* * *

**AN:** Betcha didn't expect that, did you? ...Betcha didn't expect an update ever again, either. Guess what? Neither did I! I can't promise I'll continue, since I absolutely hate the Naruto series now. Quite honestly this piece came about from a very small random urge I had to write today that I acted on as quickly as I can. I wrote this in a few hours. I imagine it may not fit with the rest of the style of the story, but hopefully it's not too mismatched (lol, pun). ...And hopefully I've not forgotten the story so much that I somehow created some black hole of a plot hole. If so, someone let me know and I'll try to fix it.

**On a final note:** I've had a handful of people complain to me about how Sakura shouldn't be able to use the sharingan like she can. I gave a reason as to why she can, and until someone explains to me _why_ she can't, and why my idea does not, in fact, work, _and_ cites sources so I can read back through the series and see myself, I'm going to ignore what you have to say. Seriously... concrit, people. It's more than just saying "you're wrong." That doesn't help me at all.

Anyway, thanks for being a loyal reader and I apologize sincerely for not updating my stuff. But for those who are interested, I still have my writing LJ that I hope to keep going with other stuff. Feel free to check it out on my profile.

Thanks!

_Phoe-chan_


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